Strength
It's taken me awhile to sit down to write this post. Mostly because over the last couple weeks it's been hard for me to come up with the words to say.
About 2 weeks ago I found myself in the hospital to photograph a labor/delivery of a precious baby girl. This sweet mama was ready, excited, & determined to get the epidural. I mean she was SO ready for it. She even laughed with me that she had no clue how I gave birth without one with each of my babes. Then life happened. You know how it goes. You make a plan & then the good Lord is like my plan is better, even though you may not understand it. And just like that this mama had to start pushing & delivered her baby girl insanely fast. No epidural. No time to stop the pain, no time for her plan to take place. It's one thing to deliver a baby yourself, it's a totally different experience witnessing someone else doing it. Strength. It's the only word that comes to mind. This beautiful mama had no choice and the amount of strength she had in that moment took my breath away.
A few days later I found myself in a different hospital, a different state, a different friend, a different story. She had a beautiful pregnancy & then within a few weeks started having some complications. She went in for a regular appointment & was told she'd be having a c-section that night. Once again, she had a plan. She had imagined how things would go, but the good Lord said my way is better, even if you don't understand it. So at 35 weeks she welcomed her precious baby boy into the world. He went straight to the NICU & she went to recovery. 24 hours passed before she even got to see her baby. 4 days before they'd get to hold him. Strength. The amount of strength she had over those first few days was unlike any I've ever seen. She is on her way to feeling great again & her sweet boy is improving every single day. Hopefully they'll be able to take him home soon.
A few days later I got to catch up with a dear friend of mine. She's experienced more loss & heartache than any person should in a life time. I won't go in to details, they aren't my details to share. She's the strongest person I've ever known. Yet she still smiles & says 'you do what you have to do.' Strength.
As human beings we have the ability to endure, & press on. We get to take what God gives us & turn it in to a beautiful example of resilience for all to see. When you're in the thick of it & it's your own experience you may not see it. You may not understand why someone looking in would see strength. But with these 3 beautiful mamas that's all I've seen. A beautiful example of just how strong we can be. We as human beings, & especially as mamas are capable of more strength than you can imagine.
Below are some pictures of my friend, Amanda & her sweet boy Robert. I'll be sharing more from the labor/delivery in the next few weeks, I get to do her newborn photos next week! Stay tuned!
I hope you all have a wonderful day! And remember the next time life doesn't go as planned, you'll get through. You are capable of enduring so much more than you know. Let your strength shine through.
